Abstract
The Nigerian building industry (NIB) is faced with numerous challenges. Chief among these is how best to manage the different kinds of wastes generated during the building procurement process and by so doing improve the sustainability record of the industry. Cost overrun, time overrun, and waste of building materials are the major problems crippling the industry. However, lean approach has been established in western world such as the USA, UK and others as an approach that helps in attaining sustainability in the building projects. This paper presents result of a study conducted to identify benefits derivable from the adoption of lean practices (LPs) by firms in the NIB. The approach adopted for this study was the review of literature to identify the benefits of Lean Practices (LPs) adoption and a questionnaire survey of architecture, building consulting and contracting and quantity surveying firms in Abuja, Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Enugu and Kaduna. In all, 446 valid responses were obtained and the data analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result revealed that stakeholders in the Nigerian building industry perceived LPs adoption as very helpful in the reduction of time and cost overrun on projects. Thus, the study has established that the adoption of LPs is one of the ways stakeholders in the industry are using to achieve economic sustainability in the procurement of building projects and ensuring that clients and end-users get value for money in such projects.
Highlights
The construction industry has been identified as one of the industries with the ability to contribute significantly towards social and economic growth of any country especially the developing countries
This paper presents result of a study conducted to identify benefits derivable from the adoption of lean practices (LPs) by firms in the Nigerian building industry (NIB)
Construction projects have been associated with complex problems such as time overrun with 70% of projects extending beyond the planned time and cost overrun with most projects running over contracts cost with about 14% of the contract cost and about 10% of the material cost on each projects ending up as material waste [1]
Summary
The construction industry has been identified as one of the industries with the ability to contribute significantly towards social and economic growth of any country especially the developing countries. Construction projects have been associated with complex problems such as time overrun with 70% of projects extending beyond the planned time and cost overrun with most projects running over contracts cost with about 14% of the contract cost and about 10% of the material cost on each projects ending up as material waste [1]. Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd construction industry has been identified as a major polluter of the environment [1]; and regarded as one of the industries working against the attainment of the sustainability goal
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